Daughter of the Sea
by Sutoriitoenzeru-Street Angel
Summary: AU 1st Arc: Sakura has grown up different and wishing for independance. When she is rejected by the Goddesses she is flung out of the village and left as a sacrifice to be taken to be part of an Emporer's Harem. How will she escape? ItaSasuNaruNejiSaku
1. Prologue: Rejection

**Based on a real book, names, appearances, circumstances and events have been changed to fit.**

"Here's a story I hope you'll like, it's one about way back when the world began," a man with hair to white for his age proclaimed as he raised a flagon of beer high in the air.

"Oh shut up Jiraiya, we've heard this a million times," called a woman with traditional blonde hair from the bar.

"Oh but we like a good story in these parts," another man grinned as he took a long drag from a cigarette.

"Put that out will you, I won't abide by those things in this pub," the blonde snapped and she moved away from the counter and bustled into the back.

The one called Jiraiya gave a sigh, took a swig of beer and then leaned back in his chair ready to begin his tale. "Long ago when there was only land in the world it was dry and empty so the spirit of the land rose up and made a wish on a shooting star that he should have some comp'ny." Jiraiya took another drink.

"The stars shone bright that night and come morning the world was covered in water and so it came that the lord of the land met the lady of the ocean and she was a vision. Long flowing black hair curled in ringlets and strung from the root to tip with the finest pearls."

Jiraiya closed his eyes and smiled in content until the man who had been smoking elbowed him in the ribs. "Remember Jiraiya you're married so it's no use fantasising," the man gave a laugh.

"Just paying my respects is all," Jiraiya replied but he couldn't help glancing over his shoulder after his wife just in case. Service to the Goddess of Peace be damned for hell hath no fury like Tsunade scorned.

"Just get on with the story," another man called from another table as most of the pubs patrons has stopped to listen.

"Ah well, where was I, oh yes. Let's just say that the two of 'em went and enjoyed each others comp'ny," Jiraiya winked as most of the men gathered gave a laugh. "So there first son was born, dark hair like that of the holy mother herself, wild like her to for he took to the seas and was never seen on land again. So the Holy Father broke off part of the land and formed an island that was guided by the waves in search of their son. Oh but then there was the problem with the Holy Father gone the land no longer held together and so split into the continents of today.

"Unable to find 'is son the Holy Father made man from the earth and charged them with the responsibility of helping him find his son. So us sailors were born and it is our noble duty to always be on the look out for the Holy Prince who has yet never been found. So legend tells."

"So how did we get women then oh master story teller Jiraiya," one of the men called. Of course what Tsunade has said was true, they had all heard this story a million times from their father's and their father's father's before them but it would be one for the ages.

"On their travels and the Holy Father and the Holy Mother fearing that they should never see their son again took to each other once more and low twins were born. Both were girls with blonde hair like the Holy Father and with eyes bluer than the see. But they grew jealous of the attention that their parents paid to their older brother and begged their father for something with which to amuse themselves.

"So the Holy Father set to work again and build woman from the earth so as they might serve his daughters but man was dieing out as they could have no children. Hence the Holy Father commanded that woman serve man also so as that they might bare children who would help to find his missing son.

"But the sister's squabbled over whom should have the most servants the Holy Mother created the ritual, hey speaking of the ritual, you'll be taking it soon won't you Sakura?" Jiraiya turned in his seat to look at the young waitress who had just been serving out some more beers.

She looked at him with piercing emerald eyes and her long pink hair was pulled back away from her face. "Yes that's right," she gave a nod, "this year in fact. As both Ino and I and are sixteen though I can't see how it'll change my life any." With that said the girl named Sakura turned and left leaving a shock pub in her wake.

"That's odd," Jiraiya mumbled as he scratched the back of his head in confusion, "normally girls her age can't wait to take the ritual."

"Maybe she's just nervous or someth'n," the man who had spoken before suggested.

"Nah, there's always been something odd about that girl, ever since that mother o' 'ers showed up in the middle of the night after that big storm. Not a mark on her either like she hadn't taken the ritual and with that dark hair of us. Not natural I tell ya, not at all," Jiraiya mused taking another swig of his beer.

Hidden in a shadowed corner Sakura slumped, she knew she wasn't like the other girls, just because she didn't have naturally straight blonde hair and blue eyes she was apparently someone to be feared. She'd never really fitted into this little port town society. Her mother had explained to her, as best she could to a child of five, that her mother and father had been sailing when the ship got caught in a terrible storm. Her father had sent her mother and her away from the ship on a small boat in the direction of land and away from the storm. Sakura had never known her father, as he had never made it to safety as far she knew. Her mother had died when she was younger leaving her to be taken care of by Tsunade who gave her room and board in exchange for work. However Sakura always felt that she was kept at arms length.

"Sakura what are you doing there, it's a busy night and I'm going to need all the help I can get," Tsunade said as she walked past carrying a fresh round of beers.

"Coming," Sakura replied.

"Are you excited?"

"No."

The young blonde who had previous been twirling around the waiting room in the traditional white dress both girls were wearing stopped in surprise and nearly fell over. She blinked at Sakura in astonishment, "Well why not?"

"It's not like anything'll change for the better, I'll just have to get married and then have children and I'll never see anything of the world or the sea beyond this port town," Sakura replied sadly.

"But if you have any boys they'll be able to go to see to help look for the Holy Prince!" Ino protested, "There is no higher honour!"

"There is also no lower dream," Sakura spat.

"Where the hell did you come from?" Ino demanded glaring at her, "'cause you've got some really stupid ideas."

Just then the door opened and a pretty blonde girl with sky blue eyes came in. Her hair was cut short and she had the mark of the Goddess of Harmony on her clavicle, "Alright girls it's time, your first Miss Ino, if you could wait at the back Miss Sakura it'll be your turn soon."

Ino smirked and tossed her long blonde hair, it was customary for a girl who was preparing to take the ritual to not cut her hair in the six months leading up to the ritual date. The reason for this was the Goddess of Peace kept her hair long but the Goddess of Harmony cut hers short so as to be different from her twin. Hence if the Goddess of Harmony chose a girl to be in her service it was part of the ritual that her hair should be cut short. Ino then walked out of the room and the young priestess held the door open long enough for Sakura to follow through.

Sakura stood at the back and watched Ino walk up the isle, all the female members of Ino's family had gathered on one side of temple and where smiling at the blonde.

Once Ino had reached the alter the two high priestesses of both Goddesses stepped forward. Each carried a bowl of holy water blessed by each of their respective goddesses. Both priestesses then dipped small sponges into the blessed water and wiped the sponges over Ino's clavicle and forehead. A light shone from Ino's forehead as the mark of the Goddess of Peace tattooed itself there in black.

Ino then stood and bowed before the alter that had a carving of both twins on it. Finally she turned to her family and ran into the open arms of her smiling crying mother.

Sakura looked sadly at the empty side of the temple there would be no family waiting for her when her fate was sealed. With that final thought she began to long walk up to the alter. She could see Ino whispering in her mother's ear and suddenly Ino's mother's face took a sour turn. Sakura held her head up higher and squared her shoulders, she had never once been embarrassed by her mother or herself and she wouldn't start now.

She reached the alter and knelt as the two priestesses approached with freshly wet sponges and wiped her forehead and clavicle with the blessed water. It felt pleasantly cool against her heated skin but then things took a turn for the worse. The water got hot and Sakura pressed her hands to her forehead and clavicle. The water was burning her.

At last the burning stopped and Sakura looked up, her eyes shining with unshed tears of pain. The confused and frightened faces of the high priestesses gazed down at her in horror. Sakura turned to look at Ino and her family not understanding. It wasn't until Ino went pale and screeched, "She has no mark!" that Sakura realised the trouble she was now in.

**Well...good or no?**


	2. Chapter 1

**Based on a real book, names, appearances, circumstances and events have been changed to fit.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**

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Tsunade leant over an eight year old Sakura tucking the sheets in around the small child. "But I'm not sleepy," Sakura protested, her voice high and defiant.

"Now you know what happens to little girls what stay out late don't you?" Tsunade asked looking sceptically down at Sakura who shook her head. Tsunade gave a laugh, "Well I'll tell you. Girl's what stay out past bedtime are taken far away over the sea to an emperor who likes to eat the hearts of little girls. Little girls with pink hair are his most favourites."

"They are not," Sakura protested, she'd never heard this story before in her life but her young mind was telling her to defy everything she was told and so she did.

"Oh but they are," Tsunade gave a little laugh, "so if you don't go to sleep his men will come to fetch you from your bed and carry you off to be eaten."

With that Tsunade blew out the candle by Sakura's bed and left the girl to go to sleep. At that time Sakura had fumed silently at the indignity of being put to bed so soon but as she grew older she began to learn the truth. A truth that was whispered in hushed tones in shadowed corners and kept a public secret. Every two years nomadic tribe of barbaric men from the mountains would come down from the mountains to send presents and homage to their Emperor across the seas. In the last decade of so those gifts had turned to human sacrifices, but not so the Emperor could eat his fill of hearts but so that he may build a harem of one thousand beautiful young women.

Originally these mountain men would invade the port town and pillage and plunder till they had enough to fulfil the expectations of their ruler. When a new leader of the town had been elected he had taken a group of brave men into the mountains and struck a deal with these men. Every two years a female sacrifice would be left at a designated point to be exchanged for gold to help rebuild the town. A bargain had been struck but how to choose the girl? No family would hand over their daughter willinging so women with no significant associations were sought out.

Women of less that decent occupation were the first to go but when the pirates were driven from the northern shores and they kept disappearing this profession became redundant. So then came the next problem, whom to sacrifice? If no girl were offered then the tribesmen would come down to the town and take what they pleased, which would most likely be more than just the one girl.

Never in the history of the ritual, a history that was dutifully recorded in large leather bound tomes by the high priestesses of every generation, had a girl been rejected by both Holy Princesses. With their choices for sacrifices this year limited Sakura released that she had just nominated herself as a prime candidate. The realisation sent her into a temporary shock, which paralysed her as one of the priestesses took a hold of her arm and yanked her to her feet.

Sakura stumbled and barely registered Ino and her family being ushered to the alter to beg forgiveness for being the presence of such a sin and to swear on their tongues that they would keep silence.

"No," Sakura screeched her senses returning to her as she was dragged through a side door to a corridor lit dimly by flickering torches held in iron brackets to the cracked walls. "No, let me go," she screamed louder.

"Hush," the priestess hissed covering Sakura's mouth and leading her into another room filled with ropes and various other instruments used to bend the not so willing to compliancy.

Sakura bit, scratched and struggled but to no avail, her hands were bound fast behind her back and a white rag tied around her head so as to muffle her protests. Sakura was breathing heavily now and still struggling but her struggles were growing weaker. Her vision swam before her and the colours of the room bled into one another until the world spiralled into blackness and Sakura slumped in the arms of her captor. The rag in her mouth had been doused in an anaesthetic, which would keep Sakura in a stupor for hours after she woke up.

"Is she ready?" asked one of the high priestesses and she bustled into the room, her cheeks tinged pink from fright and running. The one holding Sakura up nodded, "Come then, we must get her to the clearing and tell the mayor before some poor girl is sent instead."

Taking Sakura by one arm the two women carried the limp girl between them through a set of passageways under the town and out into the woods to a clearing in which was set a single wooden post. Looped around the base where a set of chains the priestess quickly lashed around Sakura's wrists and fastened tightly. Sakura slumped as most she could with her arms bent awkwardly behind her in such a way, as they would be very painful when she awoke.

"Quick, we must away, we do not want to be caught in this unholy place." With that the senior priestess ushered the other way muttered prayers under her breath and pressing her fingertips to the mark on her forehead. Vividly remembering her own ritual and the proud smiles of her family. The site of the burning flesh of the strange pink haired girl would haunt her for years to come, but she was not to know that.

Sakura groaned and opened her eyes instantly throwing her arm across them to block the light and wincing at the movement. She rolled her shoulder and noted the ache, she gave another wince and tried to sit up but fell back with a sharp cry. Every muscle in her body ached and Sakura realised she could do little but lie there until the dizziness and muscle ache wore off.

Clutching at scraps of her memory before she was knocked out she remembered the outcome of the ritual and wondered where she was now. She knew of the disappearances, what girl didn't and now she was one who had disappeared and she was going to see the Emperor over seas. It was then that she noticed the gently rocking of the bed she was lying on which led her foggy mind to the conclusion that she was on a ship before she blacked out once more from the pain and the remains of anaesthetic.

A ship waiting patiently in the docks as her crew loaded her with fresh supplies of salted meats and dried biscuit and lime to prevent the scurvy. The Painted Dawn was her name, a merchant ship by trade and one of the few that would sully its name in the business of slave trading. A profitable trade to be sure but one whose morals were being questioned in this new age and not so readily accepted.

As part of it's schedule the Captain of The Painted Dawn waited at the entrance to the harbour watching a group of well built, bearded men ride closer. Men with black hair and some with red, their hair thing wiry curls that itched their faces and tattered clothing patched together from the skins of their kills. Savages to be sure but their cargo brought the Captain good money so he would wait here and see what they brought him this year.

He could see a white shape slung over the front of one of the houses, bouncing up and down form the movement and only kept from slipping by the firm hand of the rider. They drew closer and closer until they still their mounts before the captain and two came down form their horses. Larger than the thoroughbred horses that his majesty rode with wild mains entangled with debris from the forests on the mountains from whence these men came.

"So what have you brought me this time gentlemen?" The description was not apt but given their size being twice the size of the captain he could swallow his tongue for his life.

"Girl," the biggest one grunted, a necklace of yellowing fangs was strung about his neck, a trophy and a sign of dominance, the alpha-male if study was your profession. The other man that had dismounted came forward carrying a girl with long pink hair, red marks on her wrists from ropes and a slight frame that made the captain's mouth water.

"Very good gentlemen," the captain gave a bow and held up a small bag of gold, which was snatched up and emptied into one large hand and counted. Once satisfied the 'chief' signalled for the tribe to move on. The girl was shoved into the captain's arms, who stumbled slightly and with that the two riders re-ascended their mounts and rode away.

The captain then looked down at the sleeping girl, a heart shaped face and long lashes that fluttered against her flushed cheeks. The maturing figure of one that was not girl like but not yet a woman either. No one would need to know, the ship wasn't set to sail for another hour. He couldn't help the drool that formed at the corners of his mouth as he reached one lecherous hand towards her softly rising chest.

Then he noticed, his eyes drifted to her forehead, no mark, they darted to her clavicle, nor mark. The thought that perhaps this girl had not taken the ritual flashed before him but there were marks in both places, pink and fading before his eyes but the remnants of burns none the less. There was a reason this girl had been the sacrifice, a reason he would not taint himself with. Rushing back to the ship he had a stronger built sailor than he take her to a private cabin and locked her in there. The key was to be returned to he the captain as soon as possible without question and without fail under threat of a keel hauling.

The sailor had gulped and rushed to do as his captain bad, if he noticed the lack of servitude marks on the girl he did not mention. Best to keep one's tongue still and alive than tell a tale and not live to see the reactions for what is a storyteller without someone to amaze in the telling?

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**Review Responses:**

HeadPhoneAngel - Good to know :D cuddles back

dustymoon - I updated :D

sakurastears - Glad you like, hope the update was soon enough for you

ANBU Inu - When I first read your comment I got worried but I was relieved that you do actually like it :D lol

XXRedWolfXX - When you say you don't get it and you don't understand and you want me to explain can you be a little specific about what you don't understand? It's an AU world with a crippling religion and a ritual that makes a girl and woman by placing her in servitude to one of the young goddesses in the form of a mark. Since Sakura received no mark in the eyes of the priestesses she was rejected by both goddesses so she was a sinner, unholy, sacrilegious etc.

Rara white wolf - Glad you like :D

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**This is a new style of writing for me, I'm trying to make it a little more serious than some of my previous works that turn out to be romantic teen fluff more than anything. In this story I hope to create depth in the characters and build and a believable world around them.**

**I intend to update weekly, probably on Friday's or Sunday's. :D**

**By the way, if anyone is interested in beta-ring this fic just PM or e-mail me.**


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